Method of smocking.



I. LACK;

METHOD OF SMOCKING.

APPLICATION FILED APR.'25| I917- 1,265,92Q. Patented May14,1918.

INVENTOR r B Atiorne s,

ISRAEL K;, F Q KLYRWEWxoRK.

METHOD on VSMOCKING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 1918.

Application filed April 25, 1917. Serial No. 164,435.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ISRAEL LACK, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Smocking, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method of smocking and aims to provide improvements therein.

Smocking, as ordinarily done, consists in gathering the material and doing needle work or embroidery upon the gathered surface, the needle work or embroidery holding the material in the gathered condition. The gathering and needle work usually proceed simultaneously. To do smocking, as thus described, requires considerable time and skill in order to produce a good effect. In fact, the labor in connection with former methods of smocking is so considerable as to inhibit the production and marketing of moderate priced garments.

The present method enables smocking to be done much more quickly, easily and neatly than heretofore, and enables'garments to be produced which may be retailed at a moderate price.

- The method will be described in detail, in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In said drawings,

Figure 1 illustrates a piece of fabric on which the first step of the method has been carried out;

Fig. 2 illustrates a piece of fabric on which the second step of the method has been carried out;

Fig. 3 illustrates a piece of fabric on which the method, in its preferred form, has been completely carried out.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the fabric shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 illustrates a piece of fabric on which the first step of the process has been carried out by means different from those shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a cross-section of the parts shown in F1 5.

Reining to Fig. 1 of the drawing, a

piece of fabric is gathered, and the gatherings a held or fixed in gathered position by suitable means or in suitable manner.

The gathering may be performed by a special sewing machine, the fixing of the gatherings being efi'ected by lines of stitches b as shown in Figs. l4 inclusive. The stitches are preferably chain stitches.

Or, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the gathering may be effected by a frame 9 comprising a series of indentations h and projections 2', the fabric being gathered as it is forced into the indentations by the projections 71 as the two parts of the frame are brought together. The frame, with the parts f and 9 closed upon the fabric, acts to hold thefa'bric in gathered position.'-

After the fabric has been gathered and the gatherings held or fixed, the surface is then embroidered, according to any suitable design, as indicated by the letters 0. In the gathered and held or fixed condition it is a very easy matter for a needle woman to follow out a design upon the gathered surface of the fabric. The work can proceed with facility. The needle work or embroidery may also be carried out upon the gath- Y ered and fixed fabric by an embroidering machine.

The stitches 7) used to fix the gathered material while the embroidery is applied are preferably removed after the embroidering is completed. Where chain stitches are employed, this is conveniently effected by pulling upon one end of the thread forming the stitches.

What is claimed is 1. A method of smocking, comprising gathering a piece of fabric in a plurality of gathers or folds to present a gathered body of fabric upon which embroidering may be performed, holding the gathered fabric in gathered condition, embroidering on the held gathered fabric and removing from the fabric the means for holding it in gathered condition, the embroidering then acting to hold the fabric in the gathered condition.

2. A method of smocking, comprising gathering fabric, holding the gathered fabric in position by lines ofstitches, embroidering on the gathered fabric held by the broidering on. the gathered fabric held by lines of stitches, and removing the lines of the lines of stitches, and removing the lines holding stitches after the embroidery has of holding stitches after the embroidery has 10 been placed upon the goods. been placed on the goods.

3. A method of smocking, comprising Inwitnesswhereof,1have hereunto signed gathering fabric, holding the gathered fabmy name. ric in position by lines of chain stitches, em- ISRAEL LACK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

